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The Special Care Unit at Fayette County Hospital re-opened in December after being closed for two months for major renovations.
The third-floor Special Care Unit reopened with two beds, rather than its previous four beds. The overall space has been enlarged to handle more equipment.
Greg Starnes, FCH chief executive officer, said that the average number of patients per day in the SCU in 2008 and 2009 was less than one patient.

This week’s Mystery Banks Photo: These two boys, pictured several years ago in Indian outfits, grew up in Vandalia. The one on the left now works at the Vandalia Correctional Center, while the one on the left now lives in Edwardsville.Do you know them? If so, call The Leader-Union, 283-3374.In last week’s Mystery Banks Photo were: No picture last week.This week’s Scrambler: ginbe hirc si ginvah nymoe; nebig hytlewa si vignah meit.

FARINA – The South Central High School girls basketball team used a 19-2 run at the end of the second quarter to take a halftime lead against Brownstown on Saturday, but the Lady Bombers made 6-of-8 free throws in the game’s final two minutes to claim a 56-47 win.

our different Lady Cougars scored during the run – led by senior Ashley Pollard with seven and sophomore Macie Cain with six – while the defense held Brownstown to 1-of-7 shooting and forced four turnovers in taking a 28-27 halftime lead.

1996 – The Vandalia City Council accepted the resignation of Jeanne Gustafson, who had headed up the city’s economic development efforts for the previous 6 1/2 years. Gustafson accepted a similar job in Mt. Vernon.
Vandalia Correctional Center Warden Mike Baker reported that the construction of a new work camp at VCC was “moving right along.” The work camp was to house 400 minimum-security beds and employ 155 staff members.
Albert and Rena Torbeck were planning to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

On Feb. 11, 1861, president-elect Abraham Lincoln left Springfield for Washington, D.C., for the inauguration. On the same day, Jefferson Davis left his home in Vicksburg, Miss., for Montgomery, Ala., to accept the presidency of the Confederate states.
For this reason, Feb. 11 has been chosen as the start of the sesquicentennial celebration of the Civil War. Many states have formed official commissions, and Illinois, for its part, is making an attempt to get into the Guinness Book of World Records.

GREENVILLE – After his team posted a scoreless first quarter, Vandalia seventh-grade boys basketball coach Eric Sinclair had no worries.

This season, the Vandals have been slow starters in the majority of their games. Sinclair knew that and simply encouraged his players to continue fighting, knowing there was a good chance that they could find second-half success.

“It takes us a while to get going, especially on the road,” he said. “It’s not the first time this has happened.”
Turns out he was right.

It’s a good time to be a fan of Abraham Lincoln.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s departure from Illinois to Washington, D.C., to assume the presidency at one of the most difficult times in our nation’s history.
Though he left the Springfield train station on Feb. 11, 1861, with considerable trepidation, he carried with him the resolve that he could, indeed, make a difference in the nation’s capital. He carried, too, the support and prayers of his friends and family who remained in Illinois.